bartlett



(No Model.) 2 ST1eets Sheet 1.

W. A. BARTLETT. PNEUMATIC CANNON AND METHOD OF OPERATING THBSAME.

No. 429r593. Patented June 10, 18.90.

wgymw' 2 Sheets-Shet 2 (No Model.)

w. A. BARTLETT. .PNEUMATIO CANNON AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME. No.429,593.

Patented June 10, 1890.

' Mari asses Nitric ATENT @i riee.

PNEUiVlATlC CANNON AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,593, dated June 10,1890.

Application tiled June 25, 1884. Serial No. 136,020. the model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

lie it known that'I, \VALLACE A. lhn'ranrr, residing at \Yashington, inthe District of Columbia, have invented certain new and use fulImprovements in lneumatic (annon and Method of Operating the Same, ofwhich the following is a specification,reference. being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to pneumatic or similar cannon for which thegas-pressure used in starting the projectile is generated outside thebore of the gun. The general character of such guns is more fullydescribed in my patents of March 4, 188i.

The present-invention consists in a method of operating such guns by aconnningling of a heated gas, or a gas which is combustible and servesto raise the temperature in the bore of the gun, with the cold gas fromthe flask which enters the breech of the gun; also, in a construction ofthe gun flask and tube by which this method may be conveniently putintooperation.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a gun supported on acompound flask, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a crosssection online a: .r, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the claspswhich support the gun and bear the trunnions. Fig. i is a section ofsame on line '31 3 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the muzzleportion, showing the re enforcing gas-supply pipe and valves. Fig. 6 isan elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of'gas-ilask.Fig. 7 is'across-section of same on line .2 Fig. 8 is a longitudinalsection 01' muzzle, showing projectile in position to open the valve inreenforee pipe. ale-section and valve mechanism. Fig. 10 is a front ormuzzle view. Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate the valve-operating device.

The numeral 1 indicates the gun-tube, which has its breech-closingmechanism at :3, which operates in the usual manner. The flasksv 8 arefilled with compressed air or gas by con ncctions leading to the pipescu in the trunnion, or in other suitable manner. One sew tion 3 of theflask, which extends forward nearly to-the muzzle of the gun, isseparated Fig. 9 is a bottom view of muzfrom the flask 3, either by apartii ion, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l, or by being a separateflask-section, as in Fig. l3. tains a combustible gas, as hydrogen, thevapor of naphtha, or a.similar vapor, which when united with air formsan explosive mixture. This gas will be under pressure pref eralily inexcess of the airpressnre in the flask The supply to the ilaslcsection 3is conveyed through pipe a. The valve l serves to supply compressed airfrom the flask 3 to the gun-tube, and by this air-pressurc the Thissection com projectile is driven through the bore or the gun. Atasuit-ablepoint near to or at the muzzle the projectile engages with andactuates the trip (Land this trip rocks lever rl' on pivot A valve 1')serves to admit a quantity of the highly-compressed gas in dash 3 to thetube 5, where it is retained bctufen the cooks Z) and c. The amountofgas so contained and confined can be readily deter- .mincd by thepressuregage (3, and should be regulated and proportioned to the amountof air to he admitted by the valve 1 lhe valve 0 can be operated by aspring or by gas-pressure. it isheld in closed position until the gun istired by the engagement of the endf of lever d with one oi the stops gon the valve-stem. The valve has a tendency to open instantly whenreleased, and may be constructed similarly to the operating-valvesdescribed in either of my patents aforementioned.

"he combustible-gas charge having been confined in the space intube 5,between the valves (I and c, the passage of the projectile in throughthe bore opens the valve 0 as soon as the projectilehas passed themout-hof said tube 5. The gas is ignited by percussion or byafriction-primerj", which is tired by lever d, or by an electric sparkor otherwise, and may serve either to heat the compressed air in thegun-tube to ahigh degree, and thus increase the pressure, or by mixingwith the compressed air may form an explosive mixture, accordingly asone or another gas is used. This increase ofiprcssnre serves to give afinal impetus to the projectile as it leaves the muzzle of the gun.

A method of igniting the at the proper instant by the passage of theprojectile is shown in another application of even date herewith, butthe same result may be attained by a time mechanism.

The space between the valves Z.) I in the tube maybe enlarget'l to anydesired tent, as in Fig. lt is important, however, where the combustiblegas is used, that the flame should not be permitted to extend back ofthe cock I) and so into the reservoir 3.

Any of the means for oymrating the valves shown in my patents or otherequivalent meehanism may be applied to the valve 1; in the tube 5without dep rting from the spirit oi". my invention.

In i ig. l. l have represented the gas-flask as made up in sections, theupper seetion being supported by the lower and extending past the sameat each end. The llaslesee tionsand guirtube are held together bytwopart elamps T i i the plate 7 bearing trunnion i through which thepipes 1/ a pass.

The gun-tube l is surrounded by a sleeve l2 nearthe muzzle to give itadditional strength and thiekness, said sleeve being locked to tube 1 byring .lil, or the part 1; may be simply a lit-a. ierseetion ol' thetube, as in l ig. 8.

in the modilieat ion shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the flash is made up ofthreeseetious instead of two, the set-Lions and gun-tube being heldtogether by bands ot' proper form. ()ne of the bands carries atrunnioihpieee it. The valve t isbetween the lower 'llaslvseetions andthe tube, and is thus tn'oteeted.

The same nn-ehanism may be employed whetln'g-rsuperheated steam be. usedin flash l-ia-nd pipe 5 or an explosive gas: as the aeeelerating charge.-l preter the gas-eharge, howe er and to this end thetlillZlLltl-Httiltill and in" e 5 are made strong enough to withstandthe exphisionthereol.

I elaimadmitting the second gas subsequently to aeeelerate the movementof the projectile, sulr stantially as described.

'l he combination,with thetube of a gaspressure gun, of separate flasks,a valve eontrolling the passage to the breech, and a separate valvecontrolling the passage from the other flash to the here.

at. The methoclof tiring projectiles, whieh eonsists in confiningditlerentelasticin separate reservoirs outside the gun-barrel,admittingone gas to start the projeetile, and subsequently admitting thesecond gas, and igniting the mixed gases, substantially as described.

5. ln agas-prerssure gun, a sectional llasl; eomposed of parallelcylinders arranged one above the other, the gun-tube Supported by theupper section, and retaining-bamls for the tube and seetions, alleombined substantially as set forth.

H. The sectional gas-flask, oneseet ion above the other, and serving asa support for the tube or barrel, the barrel supported thereby, and thevalve, as arranged between the lower tlaslesection andthe barrel and inrear f upperseetiou, all ineombination, substantially as describedv intestimony whereof I alllx mysignat ure in presenee of two witnesses.

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